Cry of the Mourning Dove
by Dark Raven Wolf
Summary: A Fruits Basket Short Story. Please R&R! What happends when it is discovered that the curse can truly be broken?


DISCLAIMER: Howdy! The Grand same old! You know the drill. I am not the original author of FruitsBasket. Nor do I claim to be. And neither do I claim to own any of the characters.  
  
AN: My first shot at a short story. and, as most short stories are, it starts in the midst of the plot. Use your imagination people! R&R as always  
  
Cry of the Mourning Dove  
  
  
  
The heavy rain drops pelted the ground outside the window, in the dark room. Not a sound more, than the storm outside, could be heard. A figure etched into the darkness, sat intently with gaze averted out the window. Tresses swayed slightly, from the breeze that crept through the opened window. The sky was dark, and for a split moment total silence engulfed the surrounding area. Then the sky lit up with a disturbing luminescence, and the specter in the window stood up.   
  
The floor boards creaked, ever so slightly under the figure's feet. Another breeze, and a shiver went up the spine. The numbing feeling in thoughts, and heart was slowly a killing drug. What had happened to deserve this? The figure was yet again briefly luminated by the lightning, which threatened outside.   
  
She sat down upon the edge of her bed, and let out a long meaningful sigh. She didn't realize that she'd ever become involved with the Soumas. Especially not in this way. The storm outside was relentless, yet she left her window open.   
  
Did the pounding of the rain, the howling of the wind, and brief light of the electricity   
  
really reflect what she was fealing inside? Indeed....  
  
There was no comforting shoulder to cry on, no loving friend to say, 'It's all right, it was never truly your fault.' Her mind quarrled with her heart, as she gave in and layed on her bed. She grasped a pillow, so tightly, as if squezing the inatimate object, and crying into its soft folds would provide comfort for a tormented soul. Would life always treat her this way? Pitfalls, and stumbles just when she was slightly cheery?  
  
In a dark room sat a solemn figure. He thought how he should break the news to her. Would she think the death was her fault? Surely she wouldn't? He tried many different lines through his head to tell her. ' It was never your fault! .....' was all he could think of.  
  
"I don't believe that would bring her much consolation." He sighed, and placed his face in his hands. The storm outside his window was still brewing, yet it soothed him in a strange way. Something told him, it would be alright in the end. But if only he could prove it wasn't her fault that he had died.  
  
"Hatori, you shouldn't beat yourself up so bad. There isn't much anyone can say, about this death in our family. But the girl believes it is her fault. And now, more than ever I am sure she is very regretful ever trusting us. Come on, lets go back to my house. We can talk it out together there." Shigure walked into Hatori's office and placed a hand upon his friend's shoulder.  
  
Her shoulders heaved back and forth, and tears stained her face and pillow.   
  
"It's all my fault! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!" She screamed aloud, as she choked on tears, and hit her bed with a pitifuly weak fist.   
  
The storm outside was finally calming, and she eventually sat up slowly. A hand naturally wiped the tears off her face, and she sought her clock. 'How long have I been crying?'   
  
She saw the clock. And, she had cried for the duration of the storm. Which wasn't much more than an hour or two. But even still, once the tears stopped the true grief begins. She knew this all too well. She stood up and straightend her clothes some, and sat down in a chair at her desk. Out she pulled her diary, and began scribbling her thoughts down in it. Ever so often, did a lone tear escape the hold of her heart, and fall down her satin-like cheeks. Why has torment chosen me?,She wrote down. Life is a cruel game...it kills without discretion.  
  
A breeze flowed through her room, and seemed to wrap an invsible arm around her shoulders.  
  
"That's....strange.....the storm has been over with for a while now..." She stood to close the window, but it wasn't open. The thought sent a chill down her spine. She returned to her chair, and proceeded to scribble in her diary. this time, she could have sworn she heard his voice calling to her.  
  
Life was a game to me, but I loved you nonetheless...  
  
She turned and reached out in the thin air. She reached for him with her heart, not her mind. Her heart pained her so much, and every fiber of her being yearned for him. Why did he have to die...?  
  
Shigure and Hatori st in reverence at the table in the dining room. Heads hung low, and eyes down cast, they too felt as thought his death was their fault. Kyou stumbled in the room, but said nothing. He didn't feel bad at all that he was dead. He never treated Kyou right, just because he was the Cat. Kyou laughed at the two, and walked out.  
  
"Come on Hari, we should go and tell her now. She'll be left crying forever if we do not. It's the least we can do."  
  
The two walked up the stairs, and slowly slid open the door to her room. It was dark, but barely visible was her outlined figure at the desk he helped to buy her. And the diary he gave her for her birthday.   
  
The door slid open, and her heart skipped a beat. She thought he had come back to her, that it was all really just a dream. 'Maybe it was! Maybe it was just a silly dream!' But she didn't move, just simply continued to write. The shadows of two men loomed in her doorway, and one came forward. Hatori knelt down, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.   
  
Again, her heart jumped, and her stomach lurched. She lunged forward into the arms of the man.  
  
"YUKI! I'm so glad it was just a dream!" But, Hatori pushed her away, and spoke.  
  
"Tohru, Yuki is dead, and you know this. It's me Hatori." He looked into her grief-stricken eyes. The same eyes that always held kindness in them, and smiled at everyone. He sighed, and Shigure still stood in the doorway. He didn't dare move. It was up to Hatori to talk to her...For some reason, she listend to him.   
  
"Why....why didn't you transform?" She asked, between choking sobs.  
  
"Because, the kiss you both shared broke the spell. The kiss was a proof of true love, and was something like a sealed deal. It broke the Souma curse. But at a price. It cost him his life. He didn't do it for the family, that's for sure."  
  
"But if he knew what the consequence would be, why did he do it?"  
  
  
  
Outside, dark storm clouds still floated in the sky. But now, they weren't bloated with rain. They seemed to hover for Tohru's sake. Perhaps, Yuki bade them to stay there. For they brought a strange sense of safeness to her.  
  
Hatori sighed again, as he stood. Tohru placed a hand on his, that was on the desk to help pull himself up. She looked into his eyes, and her's seemed to penetrate to his soul. Her heart cried out to his for the truth, she didn't want the lies. She couldn't stand torment any longer.  
  
"Why Hatori? WHY!?" She wailed.  
  
Hatori walked to the door where shigure still stood, head bowed and hands conceaed within the sleeves of his kimono. He stopped and stood. A queer silence drifted in the air, as he slowly turned to her.  
  
"Because Tohru. He was in love with you."  
  
The two men left her there, quietly walking down the stairs. She stood there, in her pink flannel pajamas. Her diary held in her left hand. She looked to the ceiling, but envisioned the sky.   
  
"Why did you leave me??" She questioned one last time.   
  
Tohru dropped her diary in the middle of her room, as she walked out and down the stairs. she just had to visit the base. One last time, for old time's sake. She had to bury the lies, and her borken heart. She had to bury her past, and most importantly: their relationship.  
  
When she left her room, and the diary hit the floor, the book flew open and the pages flipped faster and faster. They stopped on an entry, dated only four weeks before. It said this:  
  
Dear diary,  
  
Today happened the greatest thing in my whole life! It took me by surprise, yet I feel like the luckiest girl alive. Yuki....he kissed me! It was really special!  
  
We were standing at the secret base, and a soft wind was blowing. The sun was warm, and loving. The strangest part was, the only sound was the cry of a mourning dove. How strange? Because, right before he asked if he could kiss me, a mourning dove cooed.   
  
  
  
The diary then flipped to four weeks later.  
  
Dear diary,  
  
The day after the kiss, Yuki got sick. His health has been declining and declining.  
  
But the toughest part.....he.....didn't make it.. he died.. and what's ironic is, right before he died a mourning dove cooed.....  
  
  
  
"Miss Honda?" The sound was blurred, and numb at first. Barely audible. Then again it came, still muffled at first, but became clear gradualy.  
  
"Miss Honda? Miss Honda, are you alright?" Yuki smiled slowly at the pretty young brunette standing against a tree holding her head, and looking very flushed.  
  
"Yea-yea-yes Yuki. I''m fine. Really, I am!" She smiled her reassuring smile.  
  
"My question, did it upset you somehow? I'm sorry if it did, I didn't meen for it to..." He trailed off as she replied to him, gingerly.  
  
"Not at all Yuki! But....what was your question again?"  
  
In the not so far distance, a mourning dove cooed.   
  
"I asked, may I kiss you Miss Honda?......"  
  
~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~  
  
R&R R&R!! 


End file.
